Oh Dingo...

Our favorite Australian snowboarding personality is officially big time- He made it onto TMZ after he was caught on film arguing with a security guard at last week's Zumiez 100K event at Keystone, CO. Something about an ice sculpture? I can't really make out what its all about with the accent and slurring and all...

MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, Calif. - Competitors who win two of the five U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix Olympic Qualifiers receive an automatic "in" to next month's Vancouver Olympics.

Kelly Clark was the first to achieve that honor by winning the first two events, and Saturday that honor went to Shaun White, who took the first event at Copper and later in the day captured the third overall event.

If anyone was making bets on Shaun's performance before the Olympic Qualifiers they would have been disappointed last Wednesday. Most observers thought White was the overwhelming favorite to win every Grand Prix race. But in Wednesday's race White finished second behind Danny Davis, who was riding in tribute to his best friend Kevin Pearce, who is currently critically injured.

Apparently White's second-place finish fueled the fire for his performance Saturday.

White came out firing, posting a score of 47.00 on his first run. White's strong opening run allowed him to sit back and watch the rest of the competition as they tried to best his solid score. When no one overtook White he was able to take it easy on his next attempt and impress his fans with a victory run.

And impress he did. During his victory run White wowed the crowd with a trick most riders would consider unthinkable, a double McTwist 1260, and he nearly stuck it.

"It's a trick that's been messing with me for a while, but I'm excited to try and put it down in Park City and hopefully at the Games," White said.

Meanwhile, hearts were torn at the bottom of the pipe. White has always been a fan favorite, but Davis' victory in the last Qualifier had many hoping to see him return to the podium, proving to any doubters that Wednesday's win was no fluke.

Experts agree that Davis has what it takes to repeat his perfect, victorious run. But Saturday wasn't that day. He fell in both of his runs, leaving the doors open for White to claim his second Grand Prix victory and an automatic spot on the Olympic team.

Louie Vito, the crowd favorite dancing snowboarder, came in second with a highly technical and complex run, including a double cork and a cab double cork. His score of 45.60 edged out former Olympic bronze medalist J.J. Thomas, who laid down one of the more flawless runs of the day, keeping his amplitude consistently huge and linking his tricks with carefully practiced ease.

Vito, Davis and Thomas sit high on the list for making the U.S. Halfpipe Olympic Team, which will consist of four members. With two more Qualifiers later this month in Park City, Utah, each of them will be vying for one of the elusive spots on the team.

"I landed, I got a top three," said Vito. "That's all I really wanted and all I could hope for. Everyone's riding well and I have to keep stepping it up and I'm hoping for the best and what gets me to Vancouver."

Gretchen "GB" Bleiler won her first Grand Prix of the season in the ladies pipe final with a score of 44.10. Elena Hight finished second, at 43.30, by linking back-to-back 9's, a trick not many ladies can accomplish. Hannah Teter finished third with a score of 42.80.

OFFICIAL RESULTS 2010
Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix
Mammoth Mountain, CA - Jan. 9, 2010 Halfpipe

Men

1. Shaun White, Carlsbad, Calif., 47.00
2. Louie Vito, Sandy, Utah, 45.60
3. JJ Thomas, Golden, Colo., 45.00
4. Luke Mitrani, Mammoth Mountain, Calif., 44.20
5. Zack Black, Breckenridge, Colo., 43.30
6. Steve Fisher, Breckenridge, Colo., 41.90
7. Scotty Lago, Seabrook, N.H., 39.40
8. Matt Ladley, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 39.30
9. Elijah Teter, South Lake Tahoe, Calif., 37.90
10. Dylan Bidez, Minturn, Colol., 30.40

Women

1. Gretchen Bleiler, Aspen, Colo., 44.10
2. Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, Calif., 43.30
3. Hannah Teter, South Lake Tahoe, Calif., 42.80
4. Kelly Clark, Mt. Snow, Vt., 41.80
5. Ellery Hollingsworth, Stratton, Vt., 41.60
6. Holly Crawford, Australia, 33.30
7. Clair Bidez, Minturn, Colo., 26.50

The battle is set to continue between America's snowboard prodigy, Shaun White, and the newest threat on the scene, Danny Davis. The battleground will be in Mammoth Lakes massive 22 foot halfpipe for the thrid stop of the Grand Prix Olympic Qualifier series.

White has long been the favorite to win, but with Davis laying down the winning run, and what many are calling the best halfpipe run ever executed at the last Grand Prix, the industry seems to have become divided as to who should own the title of the all-time best pipe rider.

White won the first stop of the Grand Prix series at Copper Mountain, CO and now that Davis' has the win from this weeks second stop in Mammoth Lakes, CA they are going into the third stop neck and neck.

Both White and Davis' rode extremely well in qualifiers today, setting themselves up in prime position for tomorrow's finals by taking the number one and number two qualifying spots respectively. In fact, Davis only scored six tenths of a point below White's top score of 45.80. Qualifiers don't always tell the tale of what will happen in the following finals though, so with White scoring just tenths of a point ahead Davis' it can not be assumed that White will take the win tomorrow. It's anyone's game.

Many other popular riders qualified in the top 15 spots today and will move onto tomorrow's final, including Olympic Bronze medalist J.J. Thomas, Dancing with the Stars Louie Vito and the Frends crew brothers Luke and Jack Mitrani.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 Sprint U.S. SNOWBOARDING GRAND PRIX Stop 3
Mammoth Mountain, CA - Jan. 8th, 2010
Halfpipe Qualifiers

Men's
1. Shaun White, Carlsbad, CA, 45.80
2. Danny Davis, Detroit, MI, 45.20
3. Dylan Bidez, Minturn, CO 43.10
4. Jarret Thomas, Golden, CO, 41.40
5. Elijah Teter, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 43.00
6. Louie Vito, Sandy, UT, 43.40
7. Nathan Johnstone, Aus, 40.70
8. Zachary Black, Breckenridge CO, 39.50
9. Steve Fisher, Breckenridge, CO, 39.70
10. Matt Ladley, Steamboat Springs, CO, 39.40
11. Mathieu Crepel, France, 38.90
12. Luke Mitrani, Mammoth, CA, 38.20
13. Andy Finch, Truckee, CA, 38.00
14. Jack Mitrani, Mammoth, CA, 37.90
15. Brad Martin, Canada, 37.20

Women's
1. Kelly Clark, Mt. Snow, VT, 45.60
2. Hannah Teter, Belmont, VT, 44.00
3. Gretchen Bleiler, Aspen, CO, 41.30
4. Clair Bidez, Minturn, CO, 39.90
5. Holly Crawford, Australia, 38.90
6. Ellery Hollingsworth, Stratton, VT, 38.30
7. Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 37.90
8. Maddy Schaffrick, Steamboat Springs, CO, 37.20

Snowboard fans at today's Grand Prix event in Mammoth, Calif., had a sense they were in for a treat today. Within the tight-knit snowboarding community many here would argue that making the elite U.S. Snowboard Team this year is just as hard, if not harder, than earning a medal in Vancouver. The argument is a testament to the talent and depth of the U.S. hopefuls.

Danny Davis drilled this point home today.

Davis made snowboarding history by completing what many experts are already calling the best halfpipe run ever during today's finals. With a solid first run under his belt, he made the most of his final shot. He came firing out with a cab double cork, followed with a front 900 and a back crail (straight air), then finished up with back-to-back double corks, the last one being the switch double back rodeo.

"I hadn't even landed one of those [switch double back rodeo] in practice," Davis explained. "So that was a gamble."
When his score of 49.20 out of 50.0 was announced, it sent the crowd into a frenzy. Davis' total score was nearly impossible to beat, but Shaun White had one final chance to catch him.

For a moment it looked like White was going to pull the impossible. No snowboarder has ever earned a perfect score of 50.00. White landed every double cork, boosted his straight air and laced his spins, but on his very last trick, another double-cork attempt, he couldn't manage the landing. The mistake gave Davis the win, and snowboarding's golden boy finished with a rare second place.

"There was some great riding today," said White. "This is by far the heaviest contest I've ever been in."

The win was especially moving for Davis, who's riding with good friend Kevin Pearce on his mind. Pearce was severely injured last week during halfpipe training run and remains in an induced coma in Salt Lake City.

"I had Kev on my mind and right before every run," Davis said. "I know we're sending vibes back to each other and it was good. I asked Kev to help me through [this] one."

The fans in attendance were equally moved by the moment. Signs flashing support for Pearce were peppered throughout the crowd, making the win for his good friend Davis feel almost poetic. Davis acknowledged the outpouring. "Our best friend Kevin Pearce got a little hurt so he's not here with us...He's the strongest kid we know and he'll be better soon enough."

The women's pipe final was full of excitement as well. The girls were boosting well above the lip and laying down run after run with few mistakes.

Kelly Clark, who won the first Grand Prix, picked up where she left off last month. She waisted little time jumping out to an early lead. Her first run ended up as the top score of the day, which meant her final run was a victory lap.

After winning two Grand Prix Olympic Qualifiers in a row, Clark has officially become the first American to be named to the U.S. Snowboard Team, an honorable feat indeed this year. This will be her third trip to the Winter Olympics for halfpipe. Clark won the women's gold in the 2002 at the Salt Lake City Olympics.

Hannah Teter followed Clark with second place today, and the well-known philanthropist promptly donated all of her winnings to Hannah's Gold, her charity foundation in Africa.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 Sprint U.S. SNOWBOARDING GRAND PRIX
Mammoth Mountain, CA - Jan. 5, 2010
Halfpipe

Men
1. Danny Davis, Detroit, MI, 49.20
2. Shaun White, Carlsbad, CA, 46.20
3. Scotty Lago, Seabrook, NH, 45.00
4. Louie Vito, Sandy, UT, 45.00
5. Elijah Teter, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 44.90
6. Greg Bretz, Mammoth Mountain, CA, 44.50
7. Jeff Bachelor, Canada, 43.50
8. Mathieu Crepel, France, 43.00
9. JJ Thomas, Golden, CO, 41.30
10. Jack Mitrani, Mammoth Mountain, CA, 40.30

Women
1. Kelly Clark, Mt. Snow, VT, 48.40
2. Hannah Teter, Belmont, VT, 45.20
3. Holly Crawford, Australia, 44.40
4. Gretchen Bleiler, Aspen, CO, 42.50
5. Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 42.40
6. Maddy Schaffrick, Steamboat Springs, CO, 38.70
7. Ellery Hollingsworth, Stratton, VT, 31.00
8. Clair Bidez, Minturn, CO, 39.90

Though hearts were heavy, the nation's top snowboarders showed no signs of slowing down Tuesday during the first of two Grand Prix Olympic Qualifiers taking place in Mammoth Mountain this week. Riders from around the world are still reeling from last week's tragic story surrounding U.S. Olympic hopeful Kevin Pearce. The 22 year old from Norwich, Vt., suffered a life threatening injury last Thursday while training in Park City. As of Wednesday morning, Pearce remains in critical but stable condition in a Utah hospital.

Aside from being a solid contender for the podium in Vancouver, Pearce is a key player in the influential "Frends Crew" that's been making a very positive impact on the sport. There is no "I" in their version of friends because Pearce and his buddies Danny Davis, Kier Dillon, Mason Aguirre, Scotty Lago and brother's Luke and Jack Mitrani choose to shun individual acclaim in favor of group fun. The eclectic group of talented riders has proven time and time again that working with each other, rather than competing against each other, is highly effective.

Indeed, several members of the Frends Crew are still in the hunt to make the elite U.S. Olympic halfpipe team. During today's early rounds Davis, Jack Mitrani and Scotty Lago all qualified for Wednesday's Final. Even with their hearts back in Utah, they showed no signs of hesitation as they rode in Kevin's honor. Making the final cut won't be easy though with boarders like Louie Vito, J.J. Thomas, Danny Kass and the unstoppable Shaun White all vying for the same spots. Only four will qualify.

Luke Mitrani and Mason Aguirre failed to make the top 16 cut Tuesday, but true to Frends Crew form, they'll be stomping hard for boys today.

Shaun White took the top spot in today's qualifiers on the strength of his second run, which included back-to-back double corks. Meanwhile, the surprise package of the day was 18 year old Greg Bretz, a young-gun from Mammoth whose 45.90 total score makes him a force to be reckoned with.

On the ladies side Kelly Clark reached her familiar first place position. And after suffering a minor injury earlier this year, Hannah Teter looked inspired in her return to competition. She snagged second place over Gretchen Bleiler, who rounded out the top three.

Men
1. Shaun White, Carlsbad, CA, 47.10
2. Greg Bretz, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 45.90
3. Jeff Batchelor, Canada, 43.80
4. Louie Vito, Sandy, UT, 43.40
5. Danny Davis, Detroit, MI, 43.30
6. Elijah Teter, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 43.00
7. Broc Waring, Edwards, CO, 42.20
8. Justin Lameroux, Canada, 41.30
9. JJ Thomas, Golden, CO, 41.20
10. Jack Mitrani, Mammoth, CA, 40.70
11. Steve Fisher, Breckenridge, CO, 39.70
12. Matt Ladley, Steamboat Springs, CO, 39.70
13. Scotty Lago, Seabrook, NH, 39.60
14. Brennen Swanson, Stillwater, MN, 39.00
15. Andy Finch, Truckee, CA, 39.00
16. Mathieu Crepel, France, 38.90

Women
1. Kelly Clark, Mt. Snow, VT, 46.50
2. Hannah Teter, Belmont, VT, 43.90
3. Gretchen Bleiler, Aspen, CO, 43.10
4. Ellery Hollingsworth, Stratton, VT, 42.40
5. Maddy Schaffrick, Steamboat Springs, CO, 41.90
6. Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 40.50
7. Clair Bidez, Minturn, CO, 39.90
8. Holly Crawford, Australia, 39.00